Andreichenko calls for more contacts with partners from African countries62

Chairman of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus Vladimir Andreichenko calls upon MPs to intensify contacts with foreign partners.

The Speaker made this statement at the meeting of the Council of the House of Representatives on 30 January.

The plan of international parliamentary cooperation of the House of Representatives for 2014 has highlighted the agenda of the meeting. The number of events included into the plan show that 2014 will be a busy year for MPs. According to Vladimir Andreichenko, Belarus’ diplomatic presence on the African continent has considerably expanded in the recent months. “I believe it is a serious reason for studying opportunities of launching cooperation with MPs of the African countries, including contacts with the pan-African parliament, the same we start doing in respect to the Latin-American parliament,” Vladimir Andreichenko said.

The Speaker called upon MPs to work harder and closer with foreign diplomatic missions in Minsk and Belarusian embassies abroad, seek for any possibility of establishing new contacts with foreign partners. “Such work brings new projects and joint companies,” he stressed.

According to Chairman of the Permanent Commission for International Affairs Nikolai Samoseiko, the plan of international parliamentary cooperation of the House of Representatives for 2014 meets the principles of a multipronged policy of the Belarusian state. The MP outlined several priority areas: cooperation with Russia, EU countries, Southeast Asia. Nikolai Samoseiko also expressed confidence that the current situation in Ukraine would not affect the level of inter-parliamentary contacts between the two countries.